Villain is a 39 year old black dude I've been chatting with for a bit. We are both chatty players. He's to my direct left. I saw him hit a monster pot recently with an oesd that he shouldn't have called pre but called correctly 3-way with IO otf. I've seen him begrudgingly fold some weak TP type hands, and he obviously has an idea of how the game should be played. However, some of his mechanics are way flawed. His PFR is 25-30, and he seems un-positionally-aware He's opened some hands he shouldn't have EP like 53s and QTs both UTG. He's also called raises oop and his FT3B% is about exactly 15. Additionally, he's tried bluffing in some "interesting" spots multi-way oop/ip, and a couple where his line is screaming bluff (bet, check, bet type lines). He did once put a player all-in in a decent sized pot in order to win a small side pot and chop a decent main pot when the board made a wheel. He forced the fold, and earned the side pot and chop of the main.

TLDR: Maniac with some clue of the game, but not too solid.


Hero (25 year old dark-looking white kid) has also been getting pretty lucky and now has a sizable stack. Most of the hands I've had go to showdown were premiums, and I've bluffed about 0 hands give or take. I've opened light a few times and either taken it down pre, post, or gave up. I did hit a set in a monster pot that I check-called flop, and check-raised an ultra drawy board, inducing a tank fold, which I think left some doubts in people's minds. My image should be very TAGGY and winning, although there may be a few question marks floating around.

TLDR: Solid TAG, possibly almost bordering on LAG


10 players

UTG folds

Hero ($475) is dealt AK and calls $2 (planning to trap V)

Villain (Covers) raises to $11 (in rhythm)

Folds to BB who shoves for $31

Hero raises to $57

Villain quickly calls (and indicates he is reluctant)


Main Pot: ~$95, Side Pot: ~$50

Flop: K 3 4


Hero bets $85

Villain raises $210. Tells hero to let it go, "don't let pride get in the way." Seems to be representing that he's ahead, but doesn't want to play for stacks this deep.

Hero???


Value range (combos): AA(3, but unlikely), AK(6)/KQ(8), possibly KJs(2), but doubtfully any worse Kx combos. 33(3)/44(3)/43s(3). We block all pair+FD combos.

Semi-bluff range (combos): Naked Axhh(probably just AQhh - AThh), A2hh/A5hh, 65hh, 52hh, possibly some naked non-heart 65s(3)

Bluff range: Tough to say, but there is probably at least 10% random spew / over played crap, since he views me as a tight player with a fold button, and understands the value of bluffing me out of the side pot.

We are obviously never calling. Do we shove or fold? Fold or shove?

Super strange spot, but I'm not personally folding. If he was set mining in this spot, more power to him. I think his most likely holding is AK here so we are probably chopping with a possible freeroll if he doesn't have Ah.

Ship it. We're pretty far ahead of so much of his range. I think a fold here would be an exploitable spot. We're really only worried about 33, 44 and 65hh. Do you think he continues with 33 or 44 in a four bet pot? I kind of discount them but even so I think we're ahead too often to fold here.

Not sure how you plan on trapping V this deep by limping AK but alright. Raise more pre, $75. As played shove it in. You made your bed, it's a 4b pot and you have TPTK on K43. What else did you want?

So much in the pot now, I think it's a bigger mistake to fold than ship.

not folding, GL

He usually raises to $25 - $30, but only $11 this time? Is that giving you any info? Does it mean 33 or 44 or AQ or 56?

Has he given verbal tells before? So much depends on your read at the table.

With the info I have here, I probably just shove, but you did 3bet, which usually means AA, KK or AK and he's still raising you. I hope his best is a flush draw.

(He raised half your stack -- I don't think he's worried about putting in the other half.)

Pretty poor play in general, but this guy was opening around 30% and not folding often to reraises, but never 3 betting. I thought this was a good way to get more in the pot with a good hand (and protect some of my very seldom EP limps from observant regs). Also was oop which can be bad in general but I'd be first to bet here, which seems ok.

Not entirely sold on my preflop play, but that's not what I'm asking here.

Heck, you limp/3bet, which is more often AA, KK, AK than a normal 3bet and he still raised flop, so not sure how we are ahead unless he has hearts.

If he really is not solid, though, and will flat-out bluff, gii. I'm still not thrilled with it more than 200bb deep.

I shoved. V muttered to himself and me and tanked for about 30 - 45 sec.

He calls and turns over K3.

Turn: 6

River: 4

My 33% was good. Super surprised about his holding, and also the fact that he didn't snap me off, as the only real possibile hand in my range that he was losing to was one combo of KK left in the deck.

Nh, wp, gl, gg.